A Cure for Madness
As the voyage once again set out into an uncertain horizon, bright lights and strange sounds began across the ragtag fleet. Since leaving the island, their magic users had been more erratic than before. On the ocean waves, they turned on the remnants. They gleefully took anything they desired from the beleaguered survivors. Their powers were far too great to be opposed, the line of the Servant was finally deposed. Northern kings, joined the descendant of the Servant in captivity below deck. The new rulers ignored rationing and even moving the ships. Trapped in a calm ocean with monstrously powerful sociopaths pillaging dwindling supplies brought resistance. Even though many of these rebels were killed in horrible ways to set an example to the others, some gradually understood that their situation would lead to extinction. Rebels were drowned in their own blood while outwardly dry, consumed by fires lit inside their torsos, had their flesh stripped by deadly winds, but still persisted. A large majority of the general populace just watched the conflict, a number even willingly joined the magocracy in return for a greater share of supplies. Most of the rebellion was rooted as attrition ground them down. One group of resistors managed to evade the circling enemies. Their fleet sat still in the water, a great mass of ships shackled to one another formed a mass that could be traveled with relative ease. Walter Kreis and his compatriot, a northerner named Ethelwald Waid, staged a daring rescue of imprisoned priests. Managing to slay the captors without being seen, they pitched over the side of the ships to silently float under some refuse to another boat. Their two gods and an apparition of another being had told the priests of a ritual that would stop the insanity of the magocracy and set them moving again. By night they transcribed the holy ritual of Lobotomy onto paper and set about convincing others to throw off the yoke of the magocracy. Lying low for a time, the men set about gathering followers, stealing supplies, making target lists, and working to find the direction the fleet must move. After much preparation, the rebels silently went to work. Ambushing their overlords and setting the leadership free, every small resistance cell had at least one member who could perform the Lobotomy. Their efforts paid off, in a single night every ship, save one, was free. Magic users became known as Cursed for their affliction of the mind. The final ship broke off from the fleet before liberation, taking Ethelwald with it. On the final ship, the Cursed had been either warned or reacted too quickly. They unraveled the ropes and chains binding them to the rest to sail away. With a massive chunk of the island they had escaped and the Cursed now enthralled, the remnants sailed until land was sighted. Their ark landed along the coast, and the industrious humans set about building their new home. This new city sat along fertile seas and arable. In honor of the effort to free them once again, northern kings and the descendant of the Servant decided the city would be named after Walter Kreis in his former land’s tongue. Thus, the new capital of mankind was named Kreisgrad. * Previous: Exodus * Next: Subjugation